In the first half of 2003, the value of Hong Kong's external merchandise trade by ocean accounted for 34% of Hong Kong's total exports, according to statistics released by the Census & Statistics Department today.

Another 31.1% was transported by land, 29.8% by air and 4.2% by river.

The remaining 0.9% included shipments by post and passengers' hand-carried goods on different means of transport.

Seaborne export shipments amounted to $557.4 billion in the first half of 2003, representing an increase of 7.4% over the same period in 2002.

Export shipments by land rose 14.3% to $509.6 billion, while shipments by air increased 19.4% to $487.9 billion. River export shipments increased 34.9% to $68.2 billion.

US largest destination for seaborne exports

The value of seaborne exports (comprising domestic exports and re-exports) to the United States fell  4% in the first half of 2003 over a year earlier. 

The US remained the largest destination for Hong Kong's exports of goods by ocean, accounting for 32.8% of the total value in the first half of 2003.

Over the same period, increases were recorded in the value of seaborne total exports of goods to the Mainland (+16.5%), Germany (+11.9%), Japan (+10.6%) and the United Kingdom (+6.6%).